In Round 5, with perfect records of 4-0 still intact, two very different players squared off. Matt Severa from the United States had so far evaded breakthrough finish at the Pro Tour, whereas Japan's Shota Yasooka had been inducted into the Pro Tour Hall of Fame last year. Yasooka had in the past had a reputation as a lone wolf whose solitary testing would often bring about the most spectacular brews, whereas Severa was very well connected and had prepared for this event with Team Ultra PRO.

This game was repeated twice. Severa amassed a threatening army again and again, both times Languish saved Yasooka. All the while, various attacks and Zulaport Cutthroat triggers drained Yasooka's life and, at one point, the Japanese found himself down to his last life.

Severa was by no means out of gas yet though. While he ironically lost a newly transformed Liliana, Defiant Necromancer to the incoming Zombie horde, he eventually not only managed to stabilize, but also posed a credible threat again, thanks in large part to multiple Zulaport Cutthroats.

In the end, Westvale Abbey made things more interesting than they might have been otherwise, but Ojutai was unrelenting.

Severa 1 – Yasooka 2

"I think the matchup's okay for me, about even," Severa told me after the match. "It probably would have helped if I had played a bit better. I honestly can't count the number of misplays I made here."

One time, Severa had attacked with a creature which was powerless under the influence of Jace, Telepath Unbound. Another time, Yasooka helpfully pointed out that sacrificing three creatures including two Zulaport Cutthroats to Nantuko Husk only yielded five life drains, not six. None of this had made an actual difference, but there was more...

"I shouldn't have ticked up Liliana, Defiant Necromancer. I should have just gotten my third Cutthroat back," Severa gave as an example. "And that last game, I forgot that he knew I had Ultimate Price in hand and figured I would kill Jace in response [to the transformation]."

Things didn't work out that way, and didn't work out for Severa, who took his first loss of the day, while the Japanese Hall of Famer advanced to 5-0.